rzajac

I'm writing this review after scanning the negative reviews, here; those with ratings of "1".

And... you can see where those reviewers are coming from. More precisely, they range from folks who obviously don't expect much from flicks, to more discerning types who nonetheless weren't able to discern something redeemable in TBL.

So... I guess I got my work cut out for me. What redeems the act of watching TBL?

To me, it's about a time. It captures a time and collective head-space. And it does that so very, very well that the flick deserves to be put in a time capsule so future generation will understand that prior head-space better.

But... even better than that is how it seems to hint that the head-space has a univerality to it. The attitudes and lifestyles it depicts aren't strictly "dated". And perhaps that's the final beauty of the flick; what we expect from any/all narrative arts: On one hand, the characters are rooted in their milieu, but on the other, they reflect something universal.

And... I think I just did my job. I explain why I give it a "10" rating, and also avoid spoiling it.

...but that's OK because it was a belabored movie.

The flick goes through enormous exertions to incorporate images and scenarios that describe a complex plot; one that includes time travel, of all things.

And those exertions are truly impressive! I have to say that it sort of made the first half of the flick kinda hard to sit through. Some folks are sustained by cops-'n'-robbers action, and I'm not; I have to start seeing something indicative of a key to the mystery of a flick that would otherwise cautiously cloak it's mysteries: This flick was overcautious (I thought) in this regard.

And I guess I should just get down to the issues I have with the message of the movie.

And it's pretty easy to do this without spoiling, I think.

It's this: In the end, the message wasn't really satisfying. I expect a flick like this that seems to want to dangle realpolitik before us to shed light.

And I don't think this flick sheds light. It actually seems to want to say something about threats to sustainable republican self-governance, but it winds up being a distraction from these all-important things.

I give the flick the few stars I give it because it does try very hard to say something, and even something it deems important. While doing a few things artfully, the thing is held back by what the writers and producers must have imagined to be a kind of caginess, but which only winds up being in service to a dissatisfying take on political movements and/or confusion/ignorance.

The flick opens up with an extended segment playing out some skulduggery by ugly gangland types. While kind of interesting, it felt interminable at the time. That's the "uneven" thing I refer to.

But once that setup is established, it becomes an engaging flick, with a great moral lesson.

The lesson is this: The opposite of "fear" is *not* "bravery". The opposite of "fear" is "THE TRUTH".

And, personally, I really enjoyed how the flick explores that; and it does explore the forms which that "applied truth" can take, in practice--and tracking all that kept me on my toes for the duration of the flick.

Now that you know this, it's up to you. Sound like yr cup of tea?